


My World is Empty

by WrathoftheStag (Mwuahna)



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Hannibal Loves Will, Idiots in Love, M/M, Musical inspiration, Other, Will Loves Hannibal, encephalitis is sometimes Team Hannibal, five word prompt, hannigram domestic fluff, hannigram domestic hurt and comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 22:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7380745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mwuahna/pseuds/WrathoftheStag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Will still couldn’t believe that he could be this happy -- that the universe would have ever allowed him to be this incredibly happy.  So he did what Will Graham always does.  He tried to sabotage his own bliss.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>Will and Hannibal have an argument and Will has to face the depth of his feelings.  Time for Will to put on his big boy pants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My World is Empty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AVegetarianCannibal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AVegetarianCannibal/gifts).



> The other day, I heard a cover of The Supremes' "My World is Empty (Without You)" and this particular cover just really seemed so Hannigram to me. 
> 
> I didn't know who sang the cover, but it stayed with me and I could picture Will distraught and hearing it in his bedroom thinking about Hannibal. I never did find that cover, but this [version](https://youtu.be/U0vxmCfS-Mc?t=18s), by Turley Richards from 1970, seems very Will-appropriate.

Will sat alone in his bed, _their_ bed, his back against the tall headboard; the light of dusk softly flooding the room. He absentmindedly held the switch of the bedside lamp in his hand, flicking it on and off repeatedly. His glasses sat low on the bridge of his nose as he stared off into the distance, not really looking at anything.

Light on.  
Light off.

On the laptop next to him Turley Richards' cover of “My World is Empty Without You” played on repeat. A continuous loop of an auditory reminder that Will Graham just loved to fuck things up for himself. Always.

Light on.  
Light off.

Their argument had been prompted over something silly and insignificant really, as most arguments tend to be, but Will had allowed himself to continue with it, to move forward, knowing full well that his words were meaningless to him. There was no real bite to Will’s bark, he just still couldn’t believe that he could be _this_ happy -- that the universe would have ever allowed him to be this incredibly happy. So he did what Will Graham always does. He tried to sabotage his own bliss.

**+++**

Hannibal and Will were sitting on their back porch, watching the dog run herself ragged wrestling with a large stick she had found near the Japanese maple. The branch somehow flipped out of Encephalitis’ mouth, flew up in the air and landed on her nose, causing her to whimper and run away.

Hannibal smirked, “Extremely bright, isn’t she?”

Will smiled, “Top of her class.” Encephalitis trotted over to them, and Hannibal immediately reached out and began to pet her head.

Will said, “Aw, she’s just a bit dopey -- but has a good heart.”

“Just like her master,” Hannibal added with a soft chuckle. Will laughed and playfully shoved Hannibal then added, “That’s no way to talk about my partner.”

Hannibal smiled and then leaned in to kiss Will softly on the cheek and got up to walk over and grab Encephalitis’ branch. “Come, Encephalitis. Let us show this menacing branch who is the boss.” She went to Hannibal so quickly, her body angled sideways as she ran.

“Will, I think she may need a companion. Someone she can socialize and play with, no?” Hannibal said as he bent down and tugged at the branch in Encephalitis’ mouth.

Will took in the entire scene, and felt as though his whole body were vibrating with a joy he had never really known but discovered once he had given himself over to Hannibal and their new life together. And then just as quickly, the joy seeped out of him as if someone had just taken the plug out of a bathtub, and he watched the water go down the drain.

And then Will began the thing. And once he begins The Thing, he really cannot stop -- even if every fiber in his being is telling him to cease immediately.

“What for?” he said. “I mean, what’s the point?”

Hannibal stood up, and looked at Will with a furrowed brow, “Will?”

Will stood up as well, shoving his hands in his pocket and said, “Why should we bother bringing another dog into this? I mean for all we know, this could end tomorrow…”

Hannibal remained silent and stared at Will with a look on his face that said he wasn’t quite sure where _this_ was going, but he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“Yeah, this could end tomorrow. Someone could find us, or -- or one of us could get hurt and then what? Or, maybe you’ll just decide you no longer want this. Any of this,” Will said gesturing around the yard, waving toward their home. “Or maybe you’ll stop loving me, I can see that happening. Or maybe _I’ll_ want out…” The final words died in Will’s mouth, but still traveled to do their duty.

Hannibal remained quiet and looked at Will, the strata of his emotions appearing on his face. Undeniable.

Hannibal walked past Will and went inside the house, shoulders just grazing Will’s.

“Fuck,” Will muttered to himself. 

**+++**

  
Hannibal had left shortly after the outburst, and Will hadn’t even entered the house before then. Encephalitis ran inside after Hannibal, showing more bravery and loyalty than Will had. He was ashamed and embarrassed but mostly, Will was afraid.

What if his words had actually made Hannibal come to his senses? What if Will had predicted his future within the context of this relationship and had turned out to be his very own fucked up version of Cassandra? Only unlike Cassandra, people actually listened to his words. _Hannibal_ listened to his words, and heeded his portent.

So Will remained outside as he heard Hannibal grab his keys, walk out the front door (with a slam for good measure) and then drive off -- the sound of gravel flying through the air.

Will paced around the kitchen, feeling some closeness to Hannibal there. What had he done? Was Hannibal coming back? Was he right to leave Will?

Hannibal didn’t come home that evening, or that night.  And so Will Graham found himself sitting in his bed -- their bed.

 _**My world is empty without you, babe** _  
_**My world is empty without you, babe** _

He sat there waiting for either one of two things: for Hannibal to return so Will could apologize and swear his undying eternal devotion, or for Hannibal to never return and Will never to leave their bed. He could just stay there and die. Sure, he could do that.

 _**Without you** _  
_**Without you** _

Minutes turned into hours and the hours prolonged his sentence for execution. (He really hoped Encephalitis wouldn’t eat his face, but if she became hungry enough he wouldn’t begrudge her.)

**_My world is empty without you, babe_ **

By 6:00 p.m. of the following day, he heard the front door unlock. Will sat up taller in his bed, not sure if he should get up or remain there. Was Hannibal coming for his things? Would he even want to speak to Will? The tears and snot on his face, long dried, served as a palimpsest of Will’s pain and regret.

 _**From this old world I try to hide my face** _  
_**From this loneliness** _  
_**There's no hiding place** _

Now was not the time to be afraid, he had spent so much of his life being afraid: afraid of his gift, afraid of his darkest desires, afraid of his love for Hannibal -- and he was done being afraid.

 _**Inside this cold and empty house** _  
_**I dwell In darkness with memories I know so well** _

So he got up from the bed, and walked down the hallway to the kitchen where he found Hannibal with a glass of wine already in his hand, and Encephalitis at his side.

 _**My world is empty without you, babe** _  
_**Without you, babe** _

“Hannibal?”

Hannibal looked at Will, and exhaled softly as he then looked away.

“Hannibal?” Will said once more, gripping the door jamb. Will’s voice went down to almost a whisper, “I’m glad you’re back. I wasn’t sure…”

Hannibal looked at Will and scoffed. “You weren’t sure if I’d return? How little you must think of me and my love for you, Will.” He took a long sip from his wine glass.

“No, I…” Will began and then stilled, hand still gripping the door jamb. There is a moment in everyone’s life where one determines what they are worth, what they can accomplish, what they will do to define who they are. Will Graham believed that moment had been the second he decided to free Hannibal from the BSHCI, he then decided that moment had actually been when they killed Francis Dolarhyde together, only for that moment to be then usurped by their plunge from the cliff. He now realized those were all meaningless. This was the most important moment of his life.

He walked over to Hannibal, and said, “I’m sorry. I’m just...I don’t know. An idiot? Afraid that this isn’t really happening?”

Hannibal looked at Will, eyes slightly damp, and Will continued, “This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life -- and it’s all because of you, Hannibal. And I am terrified that it will all go away.”

“Will,” Hannibal began to say.

“No, please. Let me finish. In our new life together, I have never once doubted you or your love for me. Never. And I can’t believe I haven’t said this to you yet…” 

Hannibal looked at Will, as Will stroked Hannibal’s cheek and said,  “Hannibal, I love you. I love you. I am in love with you, and I don’t think I could survive if we were to ever part. I love you, so damn much.”  The tears in Hannibal’s eyes built and began to fall, as deep and wet as the roiling Atlantic.

He looked at Will and all he wanted to do was tell his darling boy how much he meant to him.  How Will had filled the aching void that had festered inside him for so long.  He wanted to tell Will how _finally_ the teacup had rebuilt itself, and it was all thanks to the meaningful presence of Will Graham in his life.  He would set the world ablaze and eat the hearts of everyone in it, pulling them from their chests still beating -- all Will had to do was ask...

Instead, Hannibal Lecter decided that for once, simple was best.  Smiling he looked at Will and said, “Shut up and hug me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Five Word Prompt suggestion: "Shut up and hug me." 
> 
> Also, I violated my cardinal rule of "Write drunk, edit sober." This was more like "Write drunk, edit drunker," so I apologize for any goofs.
> 
> Come say hi and visit me [on Tumblr](http://wrathofthestag.tumblr.com/).


End file.
